Bring Creative Arts to Reed Elementary

Hi, my name is Becky, and I am a teacher with Tacoma Public Schools. This year I was moved to Reed Elementary School to teach music and the arts to our students. I have been teaching online for our online school for the last 3 years, and I haven't taught arts in a classroom setting ever. This journey started by walking into a classroom that had no sense of warmth or creativity. The walls were covered in what looked like black mold but was soot from I-5 outside our windows.

When looking around, I saw shelves full of old, broken, and dated musical instruments, along with music teaching materials that were dated (some of the materials were from 1957) and on cassette tapes. There were some broken crayons and pencils and a drawer of faded pink construction paper. How was I going to create a space that would be safe, inviting, and inspiring while also supplying art materials for over 400 students? That has become my driving narrative almost daily.

I spent the two weeks and all of my meager budget on pouring my love for color and art into creating a room where the students at Reed would want to be and know that I wanted to be there. It was worth all the sweat, tears, and ramen noodles when the first class walked in and I watched eyes go wide and jaws drop.

I am so grateful to be a part of this journey with the kids at Reed. They deserve to feel inspired to create and express themselves through the arts. So many of these students have never had any experience with art mediums. So many hunger to have their voice heard through creation. The arts are needed by them, and the arts community needs them to have the opportunity to be exposed to what creating can do.

I have emptied all of my personal resources from my precious little art corner at my house. As hard as it is to let go of the things that provide me with so much happiness, knowing I can give that exposure to my students makes it okay. I wish I had enough in my own stash to supply the room with the items I need. I wish my bank account had enough money to fund this without asking for help. Unfortunately, I can't, and I don't have the things I need to give the students a wide variety of mediums to use for projects.

With the money raised with this GoFundMe, I will buy crayons, markers, colored pencils, paper, watercolors, brushes, tempera paint, air dry clay, and other materials to provide a well rounded art experience. I want to buy some materials for my success students that will allow them to also create while meeting their needs. Adding some sensory maker materials and a library that exposes my students to artists that look like them is also part of my goals. Right now, I need just the basic materials to allow us to even start learning.

While I have some amazing peers who have donated from their own supplies, there just isn't enough to give all the students access to materials. I love my TPS community, and I love the spirit and grit of the students at Reed. I can't wait to give them permission and materials to show what I know is in their imagination waiting to be brought out. Anything you can do to help would be appreciated. Your investment now will pay out over and over for years to come.

If you would like to see what your donation would help supply, you can view our classroom wish list here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1D3MGHO96TTS3?ref_=wl_share

Thank you!!!